Written by Danielle Trotta and Bianca Flowers

(Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump stepped up his campaign against diversity programs on Tuesday by pressuring the private sector to join the initiative and telling government employees in offices that run such programs that they will be given paid leave.

On his first day in office, Trump issued a series of executive orders to end diversity, equity and inclusion programs, which attempt to promote opportunities for women, racial minorities, LGBT people and other traditionally underrepresented groups.

Civil rights advocates have argued that such programs are necessary to address long-standing structural inequality and racism.

In an executive order issued Tuesday, Trump rescinded executive orders dating back to 1965 on environmental actions, equal employment opportunity and encouraging federal contractors to balance the workforce based on race, gender and religion.

The now rescinded 1965 order was signed by then-President Lyndon Johnson to protect the rights of workers employed by federal contractors and ensure they remain free from discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin. The original, according to the Ministry of Labor.

Trump’s executive order seeks to discourage private companies that receive government contracts from using DEI programs and hiring based on race and gender — what the order called “DEI’s unlawful discrimination and preferences” — and asked government agencies to identify private companies that may be subject to civil investigation.

“As part of this plan, each agency must identify up to nine potential civil compliance investigations of public companies, large non-profit corporations or associations, foundations with assets of $500 million or more, state and local bar associations and medical associations, and education institutions.” Its endowments exceed one billion dollars.

Full details about how the Trump administration will enforce the Civil Compliance Investigations were not immediately available.

Tuesday’s order states that federal and private sector employment preferences for military veterans can continue.

Conservative activists and Republican leaders celebrated the executive order. It also drew swift condemnation from civil rights leaders.

Rev. Al Sharpton, founder and president of National an act (WA:) The network announced Wednesday that the organization and its partners plan to identify two companies in the next 90 days that will be boycotted for abandoning DEI pledges.

Basil Smickel Jr., a political strategist and consultant, said he is troubled by the Trump administration’s assertion that diversity programs “downplay individual merit, competence, hard work, and determination” because they suggest that women and people of color lack merit or qualifications.

“There is a clear effort to obstruct, if not undermine, the political and economic power of people of color and women,” Smickel said.

“What it does is it opens the door to more favoritism,” he added.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request from Reuters to respond to criticism from civil rights advocates.

Separately, the Trump administration has instructed US federal government departments and agencies to dismantle all DEI programs, and has advised employees of such programs that they will be immediately placed on paid leave.

By the end of business Wednesday, the government must inform employees in any government offices or units focused exclusively on DEI that their programs will be closed and employees will be furloughed, the Office of Personnel Management said in a memo.

The White House said Trump also signed a memorandum on Tuesday ending a Biden administration initiative to boost diversity at the FAA, and ordering the FAA administrator to halt DEI hiring programs immediately.

Trump ordered the FAA to conduct a safety review that would replace any employee who failed to demonstrate competency.

“President Trump immediately ends this illegal and dangerous program and requires that all FAA hiring operations be based solely on ensuring airline passenger safety and overall job excellence,” the White House said in a fact sheet.